General Application and Eligibility Questions

A: No. Applications to the Fund cannot be made by sole traders and/or individuals working on their own. Please refer to our Definitions page[1] for more information.

Q: Can I apply for funding for projects that are already underway?

A: Yes. The funded activity may form part of a project that has already started, however the funding will only support innovation activities that commence on or after the application deadlines.

Q. When are the application deadlines?

A. A full timetable can be found here[2]. The deadline for applications is 11 December 2015 at 12pm (midday).

Q: If I am a technology company can I apply to the Fund?

A: The application form has to be submitted by an organisation that has an arts project. A technology company is therefore eligible to submit an application if it is also an organisation with an arts project[1], but because we only support collaborative projects it must work with other arts or technology organisations in order to be eligible. The normal route through which technology companies can participate in the Fund is through partnering with an arts organisation that is eligible to apply during the Build Teams and Generate Ideas stage.

Q: If I am a commercial arts organisation can I apply to the Fund?

A: Yes, if you are proposing an arts project. The Fund is only open to organisations based in Wales.

Q: Can I apply if I am an arts institution that is part of a university?

A: Yes, if you function as a separate organisation within a university. You will need to collaborate with other partners as above though

Q: Can I apply if I am an arts institution that is part of a local authority?

A: Yes. Arts organisations that function as separate organisations but are part of a local authority can apply as long as they meet the other eligibility criteria.

Q: Can a practice-based researcher as part of a university faculty apply to the Fund as an 'arts organisation'?

A: No. The Fund is intended for arts organisations working in partnership with technology companies.

Q: Is it possible for an organisation to submit more than one application?

A: Yes. However it is unlikely we would fund more than one idea from the same organisation.

Q: If I am an organisation with an arts project submitting an application to the Fund can I also be a technology partner or a collaborating organisation in another separate application(s)?

A: Yes.

Q: Can I still apply if I am an organisation with an arts project registered outside of Wales?

A: No.

Q: Do I need to have any matched or third party funding to submit an application for the Fund?

A: No.

Q: Can I apply to the Fund if I have secured funding from other sources for the same project?

A: Yes. The application will need to provide details of any additional project funding and how that funding is being spent.

Q: Can I apply if my project requires additional funding but I have not yet secured the remaining funding?

A: No. Only applications which have demonstrably secured all the funding for the project (including any that is conditional on securing money from the Digital R&D Fund) are eligible.

Q: When do the projects have to start/finished by?

A: A full timetable for the project can be found here[2]. The team building and ideation phase will start in February 2016 and finish in April 2016. Full R&D projects will start in June 2016 and be completed by the end of March 2017.

Q: Who owns the IP in any project you fund?

A: The intellectual property created by a project will be owned by the arts and technology partners who created it and you will be expected to enter into a partnership agreement that sets out how IP will be shared. Nesta and Arts Council of Wales will expect a royalty free licence to any technology created in order to be able to demonstrate and disseminate the work of the programme.

Q: How will lessons from the programme be disseminated?

A: We’re currently undertaking some audience profiling work to ascertain the most appropriate ways to share lessons from the programme. We would expect as a minimum that each funded project keep their own blog and document their work in the usual ways (audio/photos/video). We are also exploring how we can create more “hands-on” opportunities for the arts to experience and test the work that is being created. More details about what’s expected will be shared in due course.

Q:How many projects will receive funding?

A: We will issue up to eight small grants during the Build Teams and Generate Ideas phase. We will aim to disperse all of the fund in the Research and Develop phase but have no fixed number of successful projects in mind.

Q: Will there be any feedback on individual projects before the project deadline so that we can re-submit our application?

A: No. Each submitted application will be assessed against the criteria and some applicants may be shortlisted for interview.

Q: Can organisations or technology providers be named in more than one application?

A: Our recommendation is that arts/cultural organisations only lead one proposal, however arts organisations and technology providers can be named in a number of applications.

Identify Challenges and Opportunities

Q: Are there any subject areas you’re not interested in?

A: No, not at this stage, however, all projects should make sure that they directly address at least one of our two overarching objectives - to enhance audience reach and engagement or develop a new business model. Beyond that, we’re keen to see a broad range of projects covering a multitude of problems and challenges that will have an impact on the wider sector.

Q: In the application you ask for a project budget breakdown. Are organisations own staff costs acceptable?

A: We will assess the applications on value for money. It is reasonable to expect that the staff liaison time of the lead organisation(s) will be covered by the lead organisation(s) as a commitment to the project. Any additional costs required to get the project up and running should be costed ( technical aspects of transferring the data/the assets, building the prototype, travel, external expert costs etc) including any irrecoverable VAT that may be incurred through the purchase of equipment of contracting of services, including the services of your technical partner.

Q: Do I need to identify a research partner to work with on the project?

A: No. If you’re selected to take part in the Build Teams and Generate Ideas phase, the Arts Council of Wales and Nesta will help you to design and undertake the research yourself. Our dedicated Research Manager will work with you to identify any gaps in your ability to undertake the research element of your project and, where necessary, help to fill those gaps by commissioning appropriate research partners. We want you to be able to undertake your own research as far as possible.

Build Teams and Generate Ideas

Q: If I am an arts organisation and I have all the in-house technical expertise I need for my project do I need to partner with a technology company?

A: No. But if you are using your own in-house resource, you will need to be working in collaboration with another organisation to fulfil your arts project.

Q: Can technology researchers working in universities partner with organisations as technology companies?

A: Yes, if the technology researchers are acting as technology providers and can provide the technology services that the organisation applying for the Fund needs to test their proposition.

Q: If I am an organisation with an arts project based in Wales can I partner with technology organisations outside of Wales?

A: Yes. The organisation making the application must be registered in Wales. But you are able to partner with technology providers from outside of Wales.

Q: If I am an organisation with an arts project based in Wales can I collaborate with arts and cultural organisations outside of Wales?

A: The arts or cultural organisation making the application can collaborate with arts and cultural organisations based outside Wales, but activities involving the latter cannot be funded through this Fund.

Q: Can you help me find a technology partner?

A: Yes, absolutely. Part of our work during the first few weeks of this stage of the programme will be supporting you to find a range of technology companies that may be able to help you with your project.

Q: I’m a technology company. How do I get involved?

A: Let us know who you are and what you do by signing up to our mailing list. We’ll be introducing technology companies to arts organisations from the start of December, once we’ve identified a range of challenges and opportunities.

Q: Can projects make use of existing technology?

A: Absolutely, however, the process or business model that’s being used must be new or the technology must be used in a way that breaks new ground in terms of audience reach or engagement.

Q: What will the workshops entail at this stage of the process?

A: At the moment we’re still designing the workshops but they are likely to cover things like refining your research question, how to form successful teams and some business support work to ensure your project has the best chance of survival beyond R&D funding.

Research and Develop

Q: A project can be up to £75,000 but can smaller projects apply?

A: Yes. We are looking for a mix of large-scale and smaller scale projects.

Embed and Scale

Q: Can I apply for this round of funding if I haven’t already been through your research and development programme?

A: Not at the moment. We’re currently piloting and testing how we best support this stage with projects funded through the Digital R&D Fund for the Arts in Wales. Once we’ve completed this pilot we’ll let you know how we might extend this part of the programme.